Territory



- (No Model.)

Y G. AQHIDDBN.

l HDRSE GONTROLLING DEVILB..l No. 605,045. Patented May 31, 1898.

. UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE GEORGE A. HIDDEN, OF PHCENIX, ARIZONA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO A. H. LAWRENCE AND ENOOH HIDDEN, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,045, dated May 31, 1898.

Application filed Tune 9, 1897. Serial No. 639,995. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may oon/cern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE A. HIDDEN, of Phoenix, in the county of Maricopa andTerritory of Arizona, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Horse-Controllin g VDe'- vices, of which the following -is a'description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in horse-controlling devices.

The invention relates to that class of devices which are adapt-ed for effectually stopping and controlling the animal in case of a runaway or in case it is desired to bring the vehicle to a standstill or after thevehicle has been brought to a standstill and the horse suddenly starts up.

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive construction embodying the above characteristics and which is readily adjustable to any existing'vehicle and adapted to perfectly control the animal.

It furthermore comprehends as an object the provision of a means for automatically slackening or unwinding the bitching strap or rope from the winding-drum the moment the controlling mechanism is released,thereby leaving the animal free to pull the vehicle instantly without the necessity of a preliminary unwinding of the hitching-strap by y'anA initial movement ofthe horse before anyl movement is imparted to theY vehicle.

With the above primary objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully l set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the back portion of the running-gear-of a vehicle, showing my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view of one end ofthe Winding-drum; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the winding-drum, showing a fragment of the shaft passing therethrough.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 4 y indicates the hind axle of a vehicle, having the driving-wheels 15 5 mounted thereon. Se-

cured* fast to thehub of one of these wheels by means-ofv screws 6 is a gear-wheel 7. In

' ity of the'shaft is a pinion 12.

advance of the axle and parallel therewith 'and mounted in bearings 8 8,extending therefrom,is a shaft 9. A set-collar 10 bears against direction, and a similar set-collar 1l bears against the outer side of the bearing 8 to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft in the opposite direction.

Adapted to slide on a feather at one extrem- This pinion is provided with a projecting hub 13, having an annular groove lei therein which is adapted to be engaged by the bent and forked end of a lever 15.. The opposite end of this lever is provided with a series of perforations 16, with any of which a perforation or eye in a pivoted :operating-arm 17 may be brought into register and held in engagement therewith by 'rack 19, which is adapted for holding the arln in any position to which it may be swung. The forward extremity of the operating-arm is bent upwardly, so as to be in convenient lposition for operation by the driver of the vehicle.

Encircling the shaft between the set-collar 11 and the pinion 12 is a coiled spring 20,

Mounted loosely on the shaft 9 is a winding-drum 2l, to which a controlling strap or rope 22 is adapted to be attached. This strap is extended forward, and its extremity is provided with a branch strap 23, having its ends leading to and connected with any suitable part of the harness, preferably to the rings of the bit. While the drum is loosely mounted -on the shaft, yet it is capable of rotation therewith on the forward movement of the vehicle by means of a dog 24, pivoted to one end of the drum, which dog is adapted to be normally held in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 25, fast on the shaft 9. The dog is held in engagement with the teeth by means of a spring 26, secured at one end to IOO the drum and having its free end bearing on the edge of the dog. It is obvious that when the pinion is in mesh with the gear-wheel and the vehicle is pulled forwardly lthe shaft 9 will be rotated rearwardly and the drum rotated with said shaft by reason of the engagement of the dog 2l with the ratchet-wheel 25. On the back movement of the Vehicle, however, rotation of the shaft 9 is not imparted to the drum, inasmuch as the teeth of the ratchetwheel will slip by the dog without imparting rotation to the drum.

Fixedly secured to a medial point of the controlling-strap 22 is a short arm 27. To the outer end of this arm is secured the inner end 0f a coiled sprin T 2S. The forward extremity of this spring is secured to a fixed beam 29, forming a part of or secured to the vehiclegearing or to the body of the vehicle.

The winding-d rum is held against longitudinal movement on the shaft in one direction by the ratchet 25, bearing against one end thereof, and in the other direction by a seteollar 30, bearing against the opposite end of the drum.

It will be understood that the pinion l2 is normally held out of engagement with the gear-wheel 7 by the proper adjustment of the operating-arm 17. In the operation ofthe device, if the driver of the vehicle wishes to stop and secure his horse he releases the operating-arm 17 from the segmental rack and turns said arm in the proper direction to move the lever l5 outwardly, so as to throw the pinion into engagement with the gear-wheel, said pinion being held in engagement therewith by means of the coiled spring 20. The rotation of the driving-wheel will nowbe imparted to the shaft f), and said shaft 9 in turn will rotate the winding-drum, so as to wind up on the controlling-strap 22. This occurs just before the horse comes to a standstill and virtually stops the travel of the horse, and will hold the animal securely until. the driver is ready to resume travel, when of course he can release the Operating-arm and turn the same so as to move the lever inwardly to cause the disengagement of the pinion from the gear-wheel. The moment this disengagement occurs the coiled spring 2S will exert a pull on the controlling-strap and unwind the same, so lthat the moment the animal is started back pull on the strap 22 ceases, a-nd consequently the travel of the animal is not checked by the friction of the umvinding strap.

It will be obvious that my device is a great safeguard in the case of a runaway, inasmuch as the lever can be instantaneously pushed outwardly, so as to engage the parts and cause the winding up of the controlling-strap, and thus cause a constant pull 011 the animal, even though the reins are not in the hands of the driver.

That I claim as my invention isl. In a horse-controlling device, the combination, of the driving-wheels of a vehicle, a gear-wheel rotatable with the d riving-wheels, a shaft having a pinion slidable thereon and normally out of mesh with the gear-wheel, a lever engaging the pinion and extending parallel with the shaft of the pinion, said lever adapted to throw the pinion into and out of mesh with the gear-wheel, a pivoted operating-arm at an angle to and intersecting the inner end of the lever and pivoted at an intermediate point to said lever, the outer end ofthe arm having an upturned vertical handle portion, a segment over which the horizontal portion of the operating-arm works and is adapted to engage, so as to be held in adjusted position, a drain mounted on the shaft, and a controlling-strap connected at one end to the drum.

2. In a horse-controlling device, the conibination, of vehicle driving-wheels, a winding-drum, a gearing between the drivingwheels and the drum, for imparting rotation to said drum, means for throwing said gearing out of connection to prevent the rotation of the drum by the gearing, a controlling-strap secured at one end to the drum and connected at its opposite end to the harness, and a coiled spring secured at one end to an intermediate point of the controlling-strap and having its opposite end secured to a iixed part, Said spring adapted, when the drum is not r0- tated by the gearing, to cause a pull on the strap and an independent rotation of the drum, and a consequent unwinding or slackening of the controlling-strap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. HIDDEN.

Iitnesscsr XVM. G. LENTZ, Trios. E. FLANNIGAX.

IOO 

